In the past, various types of toothbrush holders have been used for storing toothbrushes when not in use. The holders include cup-type holders, and other types of holders that are mounted to a bathroom wall. However, a recurring problem with the known toothbrush holders is their inability to maintain the toothbrush in the hygienic manner desired for a toothbrush. Also, known toothbrush holders have not held the handle in a relatively secure, precise manner, adaptable to various handle orientations such as upright, sideways, or upside down, wherein the toothbrush cannot be easily dislodged from the holder by accidental contact with the toothbrush handle. Similarly a toothbrush mounting system has not been provided which is adapted to conveniently, securely, and precisely hold a predetermined brand or type of conventional toothbrush. Known toothbrush holders have also failed to provide a relatively inexpensive frictional mounting system for a toothbrush which is adaptable to provide a substantially aesthetically pleasing appearance and which also provides substantial ease of use, reliability, and convenience.
For example, the wall mounted toothbrush holders typically include apertures wherein the handle portion of the toothbrush is inserted into the holder, and the bristles of the toothbrush rest on the holder, preventing the toothbrush from falling through the apertures. The problem with this type of holder is that the bristles are forced to contact the holder when the toothbrush is not in use. Because the toothbrush is inserted into the holder while the bristles are still wet, bacteria and contaminants tend to develop in the area of the holder surrounding the bristles. Therefore, the toothbrush is not stored in a hygienic manner.
Other types of toothbrush storage, such as devices which encapsulate the bristles of the toothbrush, prevent ventilation through the bristles. As a result, the toothbrush bristles do not completely dry between uses, and the bristles are subject to the growth of bacteria.
Cup-type holders collect sediment in the bottom of the cup or container and are normally placed inconveniently on a basin surface. Such holders are easily knocked over and do not hold toothbrushes in a secure, convenient, out of the way manner which is also aesthetically pleasing in a lavatory environment.
Various types of implement holders, including toothbrush holders, have been provided which each fail to provide a convenient, inexpensive, relatively secure, hygienic toothbrush mounting system. Similarly, a particularly shaped holder corresponding to a toothbrush with a predetermined shape and suitable for sale with individual toothbrushes has not been provided in the art. For example, H. E. Gossett U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,805 shows an implement holder having a pair of face plates engaging an implement from the sides by compressing a plurality of adjacent resilient block regions disposed between sets of face plates. This arrangement is complicated and poorly adapted to the hygienic storage of a toothbrush, especially in a lavatory environment. Another reference describing an article holder suffering similar disadvantages is J. P. Eustis U.S. Pat. No. 1,571,000. Eustis shows a rack including undulating webs for receiving articles such as toothbrushes, which appear to hang loosely in the web opening with the bristles contacting the webs. Hence, this arrangement is also not well suited for precise, relatively hygienic, aesthetically pleasing storage of a toothbrush.
Similarly, A. S. Pinckney U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,886 fails to provide optimum hygienic storage of a toothbrush since the bristles are in contact with opposite wall portions of a resilient slot opening. Blackburne U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,743 also provides a device wherein the bristles of a toothbrush are in contact with the inner side surfaces of a channel in a relatively non-hygienic manner. A reference disclosing yet another relatively non-hygienic toothbrush holder is Aoki U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,708, wherein the bristles of the toothbrush rest on a holding arm extending outward from a casing body affixed to a wall.
Several references show devices for suspending toothbrushes in a relatively imprecise, awkward, specialized, or loose manner. For example, A. M. Lindquist U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,072 describes a holder formed of sheet material wherein an aperture is connected with an edge portion of a platform element by a narrow slot with outwardly diverging sides. A brush neck is shifted broadside edgewise toward said slot with the brush inclined from a vertical and deflects said slot sides upwardly and downwardly to widen said slot to admit said brush neck into said aperture. However, the toothbrush handle is not held in a relatively secure, substantially upright and precise manner. The toothbrush can be easily dislodged from the holder by accidental contact with the awkwardly angled toothbrush handle. R. E. Heisser U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,630 describes a toothbrush rack exhibiting similar disadvantages. A disposable portion includes a plurality of slots each including narrow intermediate portions. The relatively narrow neck portion of a toothbrush is inserted edgewise into one of said slots and after passing the narrow intermediate portion the brush is turned 90 degrees to be retained in the slot.
Harrison et. al U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,420 and Streibel U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,159 both describe toothbrush holders which include a mounting arrangement for receiving an enlarged shape or disc-shaped portion of an adapted toothbrush so that the non-conventional toothbrush is invertedly supported by the mounting arrangement. These references both disadvantageously require and are exclusively limited to be used with a specially designed toothbrush, rather than being adapted to conveniently, securely, and precisely hold a predetermined brand or type of conventional toothbrush.
Perler U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,457 describes prongs made of semi rigid plastic for applying a spring force to a toothbrush handle, the prongs being mounted on a mounting plate affixed to a wall. The insertion and removal of a toothbrush handle from said prongs would appear to require the awkward application of an inward or outward force for forcing an opening movement of the prongs. This makes the use of the holder less convenient or desirable and also appears to increase the likelihood of breakage of the holder. The holder also does not appear to be adaptable to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Accordingly there has not been provided a hygienic toothbrush mounting system for holding the toothbrush handle in a relatively secure, substantially upright and precise manner wherein the toothbrush cannot be easily dislodged from the holder by accidental contact with the toothbrush handle. Similarly a mounting system has not been provided which is adapted to conveniently, securely, and precisely hold a predetermined brand or type of conventional toothbrush. Existing toothbrush holders have also failed to provide a relatively inexpensive frictional mounting system for a toothbrush which has an aesthetically pleasing appearance, is easily cleaned, mounted, and replaced, and which also provides substantial ease of use, reliability, and convenience.